I read this once a few years ago, thought I'd give it a reread since I remembered it positively and wanted something easy to read. For me, this is the pinnacle of one of my favourite genres, "cool idea fiction", where it feels like the author had a cool idea one time and decided to write a book around it.

The idea was cool and well explored. I am always a sucker for immortality/rebirth/time loops as themes, but the way it is done here, with characters re-living their life again and again, is particularly creative. Characters feel their age, discuss philosophical implications of the idea, and their immortality even has some surprising consequences beyond the usual groundhog day tropes.

The writing is also surprisingly good, considering that this book is mainly sold by the cool idea - North did not have to go so hard. I really liked the pacing of chapters, which oscillated between main plot line and flashbacks to previous moments from Harry August's lives. It was a nice way to build up his character on the go.

Perhaps the only negative is that I didn't really care too much for the main plotline? I can't really pinpoint why, but I often felt more engaged by the mini-narratives of the non-plot chapters than by this grand line. Made reading past ~60% a bit less fun - but still, good stuff.